Boston Portrait Photographer: Love Thy Neighbor

When I was an actor in NYC right out of Undergrad (more years ago than I would like to count, thank you very much) I, even now, distinctly remember how I felt after a few years in "the business." Disclaimer: I am not speaking of anyone's experience but my own.   When, after pounding the pavement and doing everything I thought I could to make things happen for myself and still not succeeding in the way I had pictured, in the time frame I wanted, in the plays that I liked...I grew kind of resentful. As a result...I stopped loving my neighbor: meaning...my fellow actors & friends. I was so me-centric, insecure and dumb that I completely lost the joy of my friends' successes. I was young, yes and had some growing up to do, but when a success for them started to register as a failure for me, I knew something was very wrong with my thinking. That wasn't how I wanted to exist in the world. I had grown increasingly desperate, jealous, unhappy and self absorbed; and no fun to be around. So I made a change. I stepped back, saw myself for who I was becoming, didn't like it, took a hiatus and moved to Colorado. (that story is for another day) This is all by way of saying...while I still struggle with measuring up to my own expectations of myself as a photographer and as human in general, I am far happier these days. I have mentors who intimidate the heck out of me, but I no longer feel resentful or angry because I recognize that everyone's path is different. I no longer look at my career as a race. I made the choice, when I started this career to "know better and do better" this time around. I am a grown up now and  recognize that a life filled with rejoicing in the success of others, colleagues and otherwise, is way better than the alternative. Thank goodness I figured it out! enjoy*

This is the fun, fabulously freckled, fashionista- Erin O'Neill : Greenville, SC Wedding photographer. You will see her again soon when I do my series about Second Shooting. She is a rockstar and second shot something like 35 weddings all over the country this year! We met at Bootcamp in Atlanta with Liana Lehman Hall - which I will also talk about soon. Don't you just want to go water skiing with her! (she's a champ at it)

oh yeah...and I am ready to do a play again just for fun- in case anyone wants to cast me in PROOF or CYMBELINE. 
:)
cheers*

Boston Portrait Photographer: Education

Hey all- I have received a few concerned messages asking me why I have not been blogging. Truth be told, I have simply been incredibly busy with Actor Headshots & Children's Portrait work & clients always come before blogging! But alas...I am back and have committed to blogging every weekday for the next 2 weeks. "Wow!"

A few weeks back I attended a Speedlight workshop at Lens Pro To Go hosted by JVS & Anne. I signed up last minute and knowing there was only space for 15 attendees, crossed my fingers that there would be one space open. Thank goodness there was! The entire day was devoted to off camera lighting and I was sufficiently terrified, of course. However, I would rather make mistakes in a workshop I was paying for rather than make mistakes with clients who are paying me. I knew this workshop would help with my headshot work in Boston, but also had an inkling it would come in handy elsewhere too. During the day I screwed up and dropped things, laughed while throwing my partner Sheryl under the bus when I set up the Cheetah Boom backwards and got frustrated when I could not grasp the manual settings when using Radio Poppers! But that's what workshops and education are for, eh? Little did I know that within 2 months I would be designing a commercial shoot lit entirely by speedlights! Funny how life connects the dots like that, huh?!

The below shots were all taken by my partner for the day, Laura Linney look alike, Sheryl Widberg. They are ridiculous, I know, but I ask you:  How else was Sheryl going to get a good sense of the capabilities of the Orbis Ring Flash Adapter? I was doing her a favor. What if she has a client with crazy prescription peacock feather eyeglasses!!!?  As photographers, we need to be prepared for every scenario, my friends!? (I used to be an actor-I know how to have all the emotions.) hahahah

CONTEST: Best captions for 1 or more of these 6 images wins prize!   Leave comments below by Monday 11/8 

 Earlier in the day..I am calm. Too bad I cut my hair off...these images would have been fun to use! Argh!!! Check out the cool backdrop from Drop it Modern .

Since this entry is all about education with off camera lighting  I did nothing in post other than a little evening of Sheryl's skin tone. She is not wearing a stitch of makeup! Can we all say "gorgeous" in unison?!

 See you tomorrow.

Cheers*

Boston:: Bridal:: Battery Wharf:: Stacey

Sunday: Battery Wharf: Best line of the day was from a man in a truck with a thick Boston Accent "I went to art school so I know a beautiful woman when I see it." That pretty much says it all. Stacey was a totally awesome sport and didn't complain once about the heat or sun...and both were pretty harsh. Although hanging out on a random Vespa we found parked on the street did help us to forget about the heat. (by the way...if this is your Vespa "thank you very much" for letting Stacey play on it...oops!)

enjoy*